http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/t...w/abutaw_1.html

The word awha, from which 'wahy' (revelation) is derived, occurs in


a number of shades of meaning in the Qur'an, each of them indicating


the main underlying idea of inspiration directing or guiding


someone. In each example below, the italicised words in the


translation are forms of the root word wahy in the original text of


the Qur'an:


- Guidance in natural intuition:


'so we sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses . . .' (28: 7).


- Guidance in natural instinct:


'and thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees


and in (man's) habitations' (16: 68).


- Guidance by signs:


'So Zakaria came out to his people from his chamber: he told them by


signs to celebrate God's praises in the morning and in the evening'


(19: 11).


- Guidance from evil:


'Likewise did we make for every messenger an enemy evil ones among


men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way


of deception ...' (6: 112).


- Guidance from God:


'Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message) ...' (8:


12).

Assalaamu-Alaikum,


Please make Dua for Shifaa for 8 year old Aaminah Farouk who was knocked by an unlicensed, drunken driver yesterday at Maghrib time.


She is in Milpark Hospital ICU battling for her life and had to have one of her legs amputated. Please remember her in your Salaat and ask everyone to say a Dua for her as she is battling to stay alive as a result of internal bleeding and injuries.


Also make Dua for all those innocent children suffering in Iraq and in Afghanistan. I saw the latest pictures of children whose bodies are burnt and limbs were burnt off from American Missiles and bombs.


May Allah Ta'ala grant them all Shifaa. Ameen.


Wassalaam


Ziyaad

Asalaam Alaikum ,


These are some interesting facts about honey.


Copied from book "Nature's Super 7 Medicines"


Infection:


Probably next to garlic, honey is one of the strongest antibacterial


agents found in nature . To show you just how effective honey can be


against infection, I'm going to take a slightly different approach


from one the reader might expect.


To start with, bees are clean little creatures.If they are killed and


dipped in a culture medium of any kind, bacteria seldom grow in it.


Some years ago a scientist, W.G. Sackett, anxiously noticed that


honeybees were crawling "over the human excrement of the family


privy" in Tennessee somewhere. He tested the maximum survival time of


bacteria in honey, using bacteria of the typhoid-colon group. Much to


his relief, he found that all the bacteria were killed within hours


or days.He published the demise times of the various intestinal


bacteria in an article that appeared in The Agricultural Experiment


Station of the Colorado Agricultural College Bulletin 252 (Fort


Collins, CO: 1919;pp.3-18)


B. dysenteriae 10 hours


B. paratyphosus A 10 hours


B. paratyphosus B 10 hours- 1 day


B. typhosus 10 hours-2 days


B. proteus vulgaris 3-4 days


B. coli communis 4-5 days


The honey was heat-sterilized, inoculated with the bacteria, and then


kept at room temperature (under these conditions the bactericidal


activity is due mainly to the osmotic effect). The addition of 10%


saline solution to the honey often increased its effect.


This somewhat off-the-wall evidence plainly demonstrates that honey


doesn't support bacterial groeth; if this were not so, the bees would


have a hard time of it, and many housewives too. Honey is


antibacterial for several reasons. The most obvious is a simple


concentration effect: being extremely hypertonic, honey draws water


from the bacterial cells, causing them to shrivel and die. This


mechanism works so well that an offering of honey, piously buried in


the ancient city of Paestum in Southern Italy a sacret chamber 2,500


years ago, never decayed and is still recognizable to this day.


Check out the research section on this site :


http://www.honeylocator.com/


Free HoneyBee program or info download here:


http://www.bees-online.com/Download.htm


Peace and Blessings ,


Fatima

www.studyislam.com


By: Dr. Ahmad Shafaat


We present here some traditions attributed to prophet Jesus (may peace be upon him), in which that great prophet talks about the Chief of all Prophets, Hazarat Muhammad (may God bless him ever more). The traditions are naturally in the form of prophecies, since the Prophet Jesus lived before the time of our Prophet Muhammad. But they have value not merely as prophecies: they also provide one of the most beautiful tributes to the glory of the Prophet of Islam ever written. The traditions are from a version of the Gospel of Barnabas compiled by a thirteenth century Italian on the basis of early Christian sources.


"Jesus said, Philip! God is a Good without which there is nothing good: God is a Being without which there is nothing that has existence; God is a Life without which there is nothing that lives. He has no equal. He had no beginning, nor will He have an end, but to everything has He given a beginning and to everything shall He give an end. He has no father nor mother; He has no sons, nor brethren nor companions."


Philip answered:


"Master, what sayest thou? It is surely written in Isaiah that God is our father: how, then, hath He no sons?"


Jesus answered:


"There are written by the prophets many parables, wherefore one ought not attend to the letter, but to the sense. For all the prophets, that are one hundred and forty-four thousand, have spoken ambiguously. But after me shall come the Splendor of all the prophets who shall shed light upon the ambiguities of all that the prophets have said, because he is the Messenger of God."


"Verily, I say unto you that every prophet when he is come has borne the mark of the mercy of God to one nation only. And so their words were not extended save to the people to which they were sent. But the Messenger of God, when he shall come, will be given as it were the seal of the hand of God, insomuch as he shall carry salvation and mercy to all the nations of the world that shall receive his doctrine. He shall come with power upon the ungodly, and shall destroy idolatry for, so promised God to Abraham, saying: "Behold, in thy seed I will bless all the tribes of the earth; and as thou hast broken in pieces the idols, O Abraham, even so shall thy seed do."


"I there fore say unto you, that the Messenger of God is a splendor that shall give gladness to nearly all that God has made, for he is adorned with the spirit of understanding and counsel, the spirit of wisdom and might, of fear and love, prudence and temperance; he is adorned with the spirit of charity and mercy, of justice and piety and gentleness and patience, which he has received from God three times more than He has given to all His creatures combined. Blessed will be the time when he shall come to the world! Believe me that I have seen him and have done him reverence, even as every prophet has seen him. And when I saw him my soul was filled with consolation, saying, O Admirable One! God be with thee, and may he make me worthy to untie thy shoe-latchet for obtaining this I shall be a great prophet and holy one of God."


"As for me, I am now come to the world to prepare the way for the Messenger of God, who shall bring salvation to the world. By the living God, in whose presence my soul stands, I am not the Savior whom all the tribes of the earth expect."


Then said the Priest:


"How shall the Savior be called, and what sign shall reveal his coming?"


Jesus answered:


"The name of the Savior shall be the Admirable One, for, God himself gave him the name when he had created his soul, and placed it in celestial splendor. God said, "Wait O Admirable One (=Muhammad), for thy sake I will create paradise, the world, and a great multitude of creatures, whereas I make thee a present, insomuch that whosoever shall curse the shall be cursed. When I send thee into the world, I shall send thee as My Messenger of Salvation, and thy world shall be true insomuch that heaven and earth shall fail but thy faith shall never fail. Admirable One is his blessed name."


Then the crowd lifted up their voices, saying:


"O God send Thy Messenger. O Admirable One come quickly for the salvation of the world."


Posted By:


Syeda Muneeba Masood

Assalaamu `Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu


A young man wrote and asked Ustaadtz Ayub A. Hamid the following


questions:


Dear Mr. Hamid,


I have just viewed the beheading of Eugene Armstrong and would like to know


why is there Evil in the World? Why does Allah not stop Evil?


Three questions follow:


1. Is Allah willing to stop Evil, but unable to? This would mean that he is


impotent. Is Allah able to stop Evil, but not willing to (perhaps for some reason)


? This would mean that he is malevolent, for nothing by worldly or heavenly logic


could justify what happened to Eugene Armstrong.


2. Does the opportunity for some people to "choose" their own actions (in


order to be judged upon later) justify what happens to others?


3. If Allah is both willing and able to stop the evils, then why do actions


like the one in this clip happen again and again and again ........


Ustaadtz Ayub A. Hamid's response:


As shocking as it is to see persons like Nick Berg, Eugene Armstrong and now


Ken Bigley being executed, it is difficult to comprehend or explain what is going


on.


Although I can respond to your three questions briefly and succinctly in


the same order as you have asked them, But I would prefer to be long-winded in


this case and address some issues behind your questions as well.


The fundamental issue behind these questions is the issue of human


death and suffering. This issue should be looked at both from a micro perspective


and a macro perspective. The micro will be the human perspective on death and


suffering and the macro will be the divine perspective. I will try to briefly


present the Islamic view from both perspectives. However, before doing so let me


express my amazement on your selection of the events to ask about.


Personally, I am shocked and saddened and perturbed whenever and


wherever I see the loss of life and suffering of people, regardless of whoever


caused it. Although it is happening too much and too often, I have not been able


to become used to it. Every such incident shocks me and gives me painful feelings.


Why can’t people be peaceful? Why must they hurt others? Why do they not respect


other’s life and property? Why are people so self-centred? Why are they so cruel


and senseless? Why? Why? Why?


It hurts me whether the death and suffering is caused by


state-sponsored terrorism, a radical group’s reaction to state terrorism, an act


of a deranged individual or a random crime. It bothers me whether it is to advance


some political goals, preserve economic interests, vent religious animosity or an


act of desperation. It shocks me equally whether it is carried out by so-called


Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Communists, Secularists, etc.


And there are numerous examples of occurrences on a regular basis in each of the


categories that I have mentioned.


Death is painful, regardless of how it is inflicted: An atomic


weapon, a chemical weapon, a daisy cutter bomb, an oxygen depleting bomb, burying


the enemy soldiers alive in the burning sand, a missile, cluster bombs, napalm


bombs, grenades, land mines, bullets, a car bomb, a suicide attack or knife.


Precious life is lost whether the killer wears a uniform or not. Every life is


precious regardless of the colour of the skin or religion or citizenship or


economic status of the killed. For innocent civilian men and women and children


who are dying, it is irrelevant whose pretext is more justified or who started it


and who is reacting to it.


Where I need your help is to understand why an intelligent,


sensible, civic-minded person such as yourself would pick only a certain example


to ask the question, instead of raising the issue in its proper perspective as a


global human problem? Do you think that the killings by those resisting an


occupation are worse than the massive killings, destruction and devastation caused


by invading and occupying forces? Are you suggesting that it is ok for one party


to kill a large number of people and devastate huge populations, but it is cruel


and shocking if the other party kills anyone?


I am a peace activist because my goal in life is to help human


beings create an environment of peace and justice. And this goal has been assigned


to me by Allaah as a Muslim, just like it has been assigned to every Muslim as a


duty. I have dedicated a considerable part of my adult life to this endeavour.


What I have come to realize is that if we want to establish peace and justice, we


cannot be selective, biased or one-sided. Unless we treat, condemn and


disassociate from every act of terrorism in the same way regardless of the


perpetrator or motive behind it, things will not improve. Justifying one act while


condemning the other will only keep exacerbating the situation as it is doing now.


Please think about this point.


Now coming to the Islamic views:


From the micro perspective, the Islamic teachings are very clear


and categoric:


Life is the most sacred asset bestowed by Allaah that must be


respected, preserved, nurtured and protected. Its sanctity in Islam is greater


than any of the religious sanctities. The greatest punishment of Allaah is set for


those who take a life unduly. Saving or preserving a life is so important that


even the practices disallowed in Islam become allowed to the extent of the need to


save life. Even animal life has sanctity in the sense that one is allowed to hunt


or slaughter an animal only for food, not for fun, game or any other purpose.


Every statement is based on the teachings of the Islamic texts. I


have not provided textual references for the sake of brevity. Please feel free to


ask if you want me to include those references. All these teaching have been


taught because the objective of Islam is to establish peace and justice in the


world.


Let us now look at life and death from the macro perspective:


Life starts with semen and goes through various stages: from semen to


fertilized egg, to foetus, to birth, to death to eternal life hereafter. From that


perspective, death is just a stage in the continuum of life. It is neither a


punishment of God, nor an affliction, nor a bad thing. Just like birth brings a


baby from the confines of the womb into a bigger world for a longer duration,


death takes the person into even a bigger and eternal world. If people are not


killed they are going to die any way. The reason killing is wrong is not because


someone dies, but because instead of letting life take a normal course, someone


crossed the limit, took the matter in his or her own hand, played God with another


person’s life and terminated it in disobedience to Allaah.


Allaah has full power and authority to make the world peaceful and


perfect. He could have done so but in that case, he would have had to


pre-programme human beings to do only the right things. They would not have


freedom of action and choices. It is this freedom of action that allows people to


do bad things and create chaos and suffering. And it for precisely this reason


that Allaah made this world temporary; so that those people who tend to misuse


their God-given freedom can be imprisoned in hell and all those who use their


freedom to do good and to be nice and kind can enjoy their freedom forever in the


hereafter. He does not interfere in the matters of this world because it will


compromise people’s freedom. So He lets them behave as they want for a temporary


period of their life, then in the eternal life hereafter, he will do full justice


and peace and tranquility will prevail forever.


The following excerpt from my book “Islam -- Does It Make Sense?”


discusses this point in as under:


Problems in Perspective


Bestowing freedom of choice upon human beings and giving them the


authority to execute their decisions has two built-in dangers. Firstly, people can


make wrong decisions because of the imperfection of human knowledge and wisdom.


Secondly, people can choose to misuse their authority and disobey Allaah by


practising injustice, violating rights or doing other improper acts. Both result


in problems in society and loss of peace, justice and harmony. The likelihood of


such occurrences increases significantly because Allaah is not perceivable to


people, which creates uncertainty about Him and makes people more prone to


disobeying Him.


All of the injustices, exploitations, crimes, wars, environmental


destruction, pollution, concentration of wealth in fewer hands vis-?-vis


starvation of masses of people, etc. are examples of the problems created by the


excesses committed by people in disobedience of the Creator. It is to weed out


such people who misuse their freedom bestowed by Allaah and commit excesses that


Allaah SWT put us in a temporary universe.


Making this world temporary also required building into it some


imperfections. The natural laws had to be such that would lead to its own


destruction. While it had to be made sustainable for a long period to let all


planned generations of human beings find the earth hospitable and inhabitable, it


must not have been perfect in all respects to continue in an ideal way forever.


Some of its imperfections show up in the form of natural disasters. Natural


disasters demonstrate to people the temporary nature of this world. They are a


part of Allaah’s plan as a sign of Allaah’s power and authority. They remind


people of the limits of the power and authority given to them in this world and


the limitless power and authority of the Creator Himself. They put those who


misuse their freedom in place and in check. Without such countermeasures and


signs, the disobedient to Allaah would feel in full control of the affairs of the


world and would rebel beyond limits creating insurmountable problems for other


human beings.


Testing people through a temporary life had its own needs. Such


natural laws for human life had to be ordained that would make the timing of a


person’s death unpredictable. An individual’s span of life without a predictable


time frame was designed so that people would prepare for death knowing that it can


come anytime and that delaying obedience to God to a future time would be


extremely risky because a future opportunity to repent and become obedient might


not come. This required that people would die at different ages: some at very


young age, some at very old age and others anywhere in between; and that such


occurrence should appear random to people.


Those who do not understand these aspects of Allaah’s plan tend to


deny Allaah’s existence on that basis. They think that if a Merciful Creator


existed, He would not allow any injustice or crimes in the world. They do not


realize that it is because of His mercy that He has put this temporary system in


place to weed out the transgressors so that all others can have peace afterwards


forever. They forget that once this short test is over, the victims of human


crimes will enjoy the mercy of Allaah on the Day of Judgment and in the eternal


life hereafter. Similarly, some people question that if an omnipotent God were


taking care of the universe, why would human beings suffer from natural disasters?


They miss the point that these natural occurrences evidence the power of God,


become signs for the rebellious, and remind the faithful of the need to prepare


for the ultimate destruction on the Day of Judgment. They wonder why a kind God


would let the innocent people or a child die. They forget that there is nothing


cruel or unjust in moving people naturally to the next stage of life where it will


be perfect in every respect, continue forever, discomfort-free and full of


pleasures and joys for the obedient people. That is where we will experience the


full limitlessness of the mercy of Allaah. Even those who bear the grief of these


deaths in this world will be compensated generously in the hereafter for all the


troubles they had to suffer. We are going through a temporary phase on a path


towards an eternal bliss.


I hope this explains the Islamic perspective on the questions that


you raised. I will be looking forward to hearing your comments and feedback.


K a r i m a

Iman al-Hams: Israeli soldiers fired about 20 bullets into the 13- year-old girl, including five into her head


Islam Dwidar's classmates were still taking in her shocking death - the teacher weeping outside before facing the girls, her closest friend recounting how they walked to school together each day - when the news arrived about Tahreer Abu El Jidyan.


The two 15-year-old pupils at Jabaliya's school were both shot in the head by Israeli soldiers inside their homes just a few blocks and several hours apart. Islam died almost immediately after the bullet smashed through her forehead as she baked bread with her mother in their yard on Sunday. Tahreer is still on life support at a Gaza hospital after an operation to remove shards of shattered skull from her brain.


She lies motionless, with little to suggest she is alive other than gentle breathing. Doctors do not expect her to survive.


Tahreer's mother, Intisar, was at her bedside yesterday.


"Oh Tahreer, my heart. I wish I were lying in this bed, not you," she whispered to her child. "She was sweeping the floor in front of the door," said Mrs Abu El Jidyan. "I was standing talking to her. We knew the Israeli soldiers were around, we knew they had snipers in the buildings on our street but we didn't expect what happened. They just shot her in the head. Her brains spilled out. She said: 'Mum, I'm hit'. She praised God and she collapsed."


There were two bullets. The first struck Tahreer in the head. As she fell, the second hit the wall behind her. "I've no doubt a sniper shot her deliberately. There was no fighting in the area. There were no other shots, only the ones that hit Tahreer," said her mother.


Mrs Abu El Jidyan regrets preventing Tahreer from walking to school on Sunday morning. She thought it would be too dangerous to venture out of their home in Jabaliya's Sikka neighbourhood because it is on the edge of the area occupied by Israeli troops and tanks last week. Snipers are posted in buildings overlooking their street and a tank is less than a block away.


"I wouldn't let her out of the house but it was dangerous at home too. When there was fighting, bullets came through the walls. We stopped using some rooms on the side where the Israelis are," she said.


Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups say that about half of the nearly 80 people killed by the army over the past week of "Operation Days of Penitence" are civilians. The military says it has carefully targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters with missile strikes.


But while the numbers are in dispute - in part because it is often hard to say whether youths in their mid to late teens are bystanders or part of the Palestinian resistance - there is no doubt that a growing number of children have been felled by Israeli snipers.


At Islam and Tahreer's school in Jabaliya yesterday morning, the headmistress, Rukaya Kamal al Budani, fielded calls from parents wanting to know if it was safe to send their girls. "If they can get here, it's safe," was her stock reply. But of 1,150 pupils, fewer than 200 turned up.


Before word reached the school about Tahreer, Mrs al Budani was getting to grips with the death of Islam.


"This is our first casualty at the school," she said. "I don't know how to deal with the girls. It's going to have a big impact on her classmates and friends. I'm shocked that no one in the free world condemns the killing of a child."


Then one of the male teachers tells Mrs al Budani about the shooting of Tahreer the previous day. The headmistress sits in silence.


Until June, the two young women had been classmates, but then Tahreer failed her exams and was held back for a year. Asmaa Abu Samaan walked to school with her each morning.


"I met her in front of my house each morning to walk to school. I did my homework with her. I keep thinking that if she is brain-dead and not killed perhaps she is still suffering. I can't stand it," she said.


Asmaa walked to school yesterday morning without her friend."I walked against the wall hoping the soldiers can't see me. I want to go to school because I know the Jews do not want us to study because we need to be educated to build our country," she said.


But the killing went on as the conflict claimed the life of another teenage girl in the Gaza strip yesterday. Palestinian medics said Israeli soldiers fired about 20 bullets into 13- year-old Iman al-Hams, including five into her head.


The military said she had entered a forbidden zone in Rafah refugee camp, and that she dropped a bag that soldiers feared was a bomb.


The Palestinians said Iman was walking to school when troops entered the camp and that she dropped her bag as she ran away in fear.


The bag was not found to contain a bomb.

POVERTY, FAMINE, STARVATION…BECAUSE OF GOD OR HUMAN?


Half the world -- nearly three billion people -- live on less than two dollars a day. 1


The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world's countries) is less than the wealth of the world's three richest people combined. 2


Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. 3


Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn't happen. 4


51 percent of the world's 100 hundred wealthiest bodies are corporations. 5


The wealthiest nation on Earth has the widest gap between rich and poor of any industrialized nation. 6


The poorer the country, the more likely it is that debt repayments are being extracted directly from people who neither contracted the loans nor received any of the money. 7


20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the worlds goods. 8


The top fifth of the world's people in the richest countries enjoy 82% of the expanding export trade and 68% of foreign direct investment -- the bottom fifth, barely more than 1%. 9


In 1960, the 20% of the world's people in the richest countries had 30 times the income of the poorest 20% -- in 1997, 74 times as much. 10


An analysis of long-term trends shows the distance between the richest and poorest countries was about:


3 to 1 in 1820


11 to 1 in 1913


35 to 1 in 1950


44 to 1 in 1973


72 to 1 in 1992 11


“The lives of 1.7 million children will be needlessly lost this year [2000] because world governments have failed to reduce poverty levels”12


The developing world now spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants. 13


A few hundred millionaires now own as much wealth as the world's poorest 2.5 billion people. 14


“The 48 poorest countries account for less than 0.4 per cent of global exports.”15


“The combined wealth of the world's 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion.”16


“Of all human rights failures today, those in economic and social areas affect by far the larger number and are the most widespread across the world's nations and large numbers of people.”17


“Approximately 790 million people in the developing world are still chronically undernourished, almost two-thirds of whom reside in Asia and the Pacific.”18


“7 Million children die each year as a result of the debt crisis. 8525038 children have died since the start of the year 2000 [as of March 24, 2001].”19


For economic growth and almost all of the other indicators, the last 20 years [of the current form of globalization, from 1980 - 2000] have shown a very clear decline in progress as compared with the previous two decades [1960 - 1980]. For each indicator, countries were divided into five roughly equal groups, according to what level the countries had achieved by the start of the period (1960 or 1980). Among the findings:


Growth: The fall in economic growth rates was most pronounced and across the board for all groups or countries.


Life Expectancy: Progress in life expectancy was also reduced for 4 out of the 5 groups of countries, with the exception of the highest group (life expectancy 69-76 years).


Infant and Child Mortality: Progress in reducing infant mortality was also considerably slower during the period of globalization (1980-1998) than over the previous two decades.


Education and literacy: Progress in education also slowed during the period of globalization. 20


“Today, across the world, 1.3 billion people live on less than one dollar a day; 3 billion live on under two dollars a day; 1.3 billion have no access to clean water; 3 billion have no access to sanitation; 2 billion have no access to electricity.”21


The richest 50 million people in Europe and North America have the same income as 2.7 billion poor people. “The slice of the cake taken by 1% is the same size as that handed to the poorest 57%.”22


The world's 497 billionaires in 2001 registered a combined wealth of $1.54 trillion, well over the combined gross national products of all the nations of sub-Saharan Africa ($929.3 billion) or those of the oil-rich regions of the Middle East and North Africa ($1.34 trillion). It is also greater than the combined incomes of the poorest half of humanity. 23


A mere 12 percent of the world's population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World. 24


What these details describes you. These are because of God or We Human Being?


What behind these solvable inequalities in this world?


If it’s solvable then why they are still exists?


Do you have any guess about the reason behind this evil inequality?


Do you have any?


Yes! It is “Interest Based Economical System” and “Unequal Distribution of Wealth” and “Corrupted Leaders of the Nations” in this world


In Interest Based Economical System, rich grows richer, poor grows poorer. It’s an economical fraud.The developing world now spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants. 13


Just for $1 they are paying $13 on debt. What a cruel injustice is this. If these countries continued to pay such a big amount as a interest for small amount of debt it borrowed,


Where is the room for development in that country and where is the wellbeing for those people in that country? The result is what we are witnessing silently. Uncountable numbers of death of millions of children, women, people because of hunger, disease, unhealthy environment, tainted water, illiteracy, crime rate, lists goes on and on.


And when you consider the issues of poverty, famine starvation they are deliberate handy work of human to achieve their dirty goals.


“In Somalia, Sudan, Liberia, North Korea, Burma and Afghanistan, governments


and military leaders are holding innocent people hostage and starving them for political ends, sometimes with appalling cruelty” (The politics of hunger, By Ignacio Ramonet)


“Consider, for example, the right to food. Food is not in short supply. In fact, food products have never been so abundant. There is enough available to provide each of the Earth’s inhabitants with at least 2,700 calories a day. But production alone is not enough. The people who need the food must be able to buy it and consume it. And that is precisely the problem. Thirty million people a year die of hunger. And 800 million suffer from chronic malnutrition.” (The politics of hunger, By Ignacio Ramonet)


We human are being letting our fellow human beings starve to death. What a shame full act we are doing. Is these are inevitable? There is nothing inevitable about this. Climatic problems are often predictable. We can often nip a famine in the bud in a matter of weeks. And yet hunger continues to decimate whole populations. Why? Because hunger has become a political weapon. The dirty weapon called “Economical Sanctions”. This cruel weapon killed millions of people around the world for nothing but empty egos in the minds of incapable leaders.


While governments as a whole reason for this cruelty by their economical and foreign policies, we as a individual human being also one among the reason for that injustice.


According to a report (25)


Basic education for everyone in the world 6 Billions U.S. $


Cosmetics in the United States 8 Billions U.S. $


Water and sanitation for everyone in the world 9 Billions U.S. $.


Ice cream in Europe 11 Billions U.S. $.


Reproductive health for all women in the world 12 Billions U.S. $


Perfumes in Europe and the United States 12 Billions U.S. $


Basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world 13 Billions U.S. $


Pet foods in Europe and the United States 17 Billions U.S. $


Business entertainment in Japan 35 Billions U.S. $., Cigarettes in Europe 50 Billions U.S. $


Alcoholic drinks in Europe 105 Billions U.S. $, Narcotics drugs in the world 400 Billions U.S. $


Military spending in the world 780 Billions U.S. $


See the analogy in the above statements, individual people spending more money just for feeding their pet than their fellow soul carrying human beings. Is feeding pet is more important than feeding fellow human? Is perfume is more important for ladies than vital health of their fellow sisters in all over the world? Is cosmetics is more important than the basic education of the children all over the world?


Water and sanitation for healthy life is vital or just ice cream? Cigarettes, Alcohol,


Narcotics drugs, Deadly weapons were ever saved any life?


And is there any order or compulsion from any regimes in any country on the earth to buy this extra, not vital luxury items and life killings things. We, individuals consuming these items just because of our inner desires without considering the needs of others. Even we are ready to buy these luxury items by borrowing debt for interest. If most of the human obeys the commandments of Almighty Allah, avoid extravagances and considers the need of fellow humans, then we can’t eradicate poverty from the earth?


Al-Quran (17:26) “And render to the kindred their due rights, as (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: But squander not (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.”


And while considering the contributions of rulers of the nations for this injustice, it is huge.


Corruption, it is the threatening word which jeopardizing the well being of the people and social developments. What actually means corruption? Simply it’s looting the wealth of people. The money allotted for the development of society and individual people is going to the pockets of the persons in the power in dirty ways. Then what is the result? The result is sufferings of the people.


“In one World Bank survey, more than 150 high-ranking public officials and top citizens from over 60 developing nations ranked corruption as the biggest impediment to economic development and growth in their countries.


When corruption enters the higher levels of officialdom, it can have wide-reaching and devastating effects. Corrupt officials in high places may misuse international aid, abandon crucial development projects, or keep living standards impossibly low because of excessive spending.”


(See the “Cost Of Corruption” in http://www.un.org/events/10thcongress/2088b.htm)


yet we see the poverty, famine, starvation, corruption and reasons for those in brief.


It is possible to eradicate poverty, corruption, etc…?


Is there any solution in the face of the planet Earth to eradicate poverty, corruption, etc…?


Is there any?


Yes “ISLAM”.


The wonderful economical system called “ZAKAHT”,the third pillar of Islam.


It was created the economical revolution, social justice. Its is important to note that


All the ways which Islam shows are not mere a hypothesis, every one was implemented by beloved Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) in the society and shown proved result.


If any person has 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver or equivalent amount of savings he or she must to pay 2.5% of the Value from that saving in every year in charity.


Zakat is a symbol of one’s obligation to recognize the rights of others and to be in sympathy with them in pain or in sorrow. This wonderful system will eradicate the poverty from the face of the earth for surety along with Islamic banking system. It’s the interest less banking system.


As listed above that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world's countries) is less than the wealth of the world's three richest people combined. 2


Is these richest people cant pay their contribution?. If they do then where is the place for poverty, starvation or famine related deaths?


As we seen before the interest based economical system mounts money in a small group of people and make others to live in extreme distress. In Islam Allah prohibited all form of interests and interest based money lending system. See what Allah, The Almighty says about usury:


“Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one whom the Evil one by his touch Hath driven to madness. That is because they say: "Trade is like usury," but Allah hath permitted trade and forbidden usury. Those who after receiving direction from their Lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past; their case is for Allah (to judge); but those who repeat (The offence) are companions of the Fire: They will abide therein (for ever).


Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, but will give increase for deeds of charity: For He loveth not creatures ungrateful and wicked.


O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if ye are indeed believers.


If ye do it not, Take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger. But if ye turn back, ye shall have your capital sums: Deal not unjustly, and ye shall not be dealt with unjustly.”


Al-Quran (2:275 – 279)


Allah declared war against those who practice usury, this makes us to have clear picture of deadly consequence of Interest.


Allah says to show mercy on the debtor.


Al-Quran (2:280) “If the debtor is in a difficulty, grant him time Till it is easy for him to repay. But if ye remit it by way of charity, that is best for you if ye only knew.”


And Allah encourages us to give loans in this way


Al-Quran (57:11) “Who is he that will Loan to Allah a beautiful loan? For ((Allah)) will increase it manifold to his credit, and he will have (besides) a liberal Reward.”


Our Beloved Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), His heart always wept for poors and needy said


“If your neighbor suffered in hunger you do not eat full stomach”


If each and every one follows this, surely they will consider the needs of fellow human beings, avoid extravagance and will show them mercy.


Allah says in Glorious Quran


Al-Quran (25:67) “Those who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not niggardly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes);”


Al-Quran (20:81) “(Saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein, lest My Wrath should justly descend on you: and those on whom descends My Wrath do perish indeed!”


ISLAM is the only powerful tool to fight against the dirty materialistic evil thought and to give justice, peace and prosperity to the world.


Now say


POVERTY, FAMINE, STARVATION… BECAUSE OF GOD OR HUMAN?


Wassalam


Soon I will meet you in another article Inshallah.


Yours brother in faith


M. A. Hashim Munawar, B.Sc., M.C.A


NOTES


1)http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp#25


2) Ignacio Ramonet, The politics of hunger, Le Monde Diplomatique, November 1998


3) The State of the World's Children, 1999, UNICEF


4) State of the World, Issue 287 - Feb 1997, New Internationalist


5) Holding Transnationals Accountable, IPS, August 11, 1998


6) The Corporate Planet, Corporate Watch, 1997


7) Debt - The facts, Issue 312 - May 1999, New Internationalist


8) 1998 Human Development Report, United Nations Development Programme


9) 1999 Human Development Report, United Nations Development Programme


10) Ibid


11) Ibid


12) Missing the Target; The price of empty promises, Oxfam, June 2000


13) Global Development Finance, World Bank, 1999


14) Economics forever; Building sustainability into economic policyPANOS Briefing 38, March 2000


15) Human Development Report 2000, p. 82, United Nations Development Programme


16) Ibid, p. 82


17) Ibid, p. 73


18) World Resources Institute Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems, February 2001, (in the Food Feed and Fiber section). Note, that dispite the food production rate being better than population growth rate, there is still so much hunger around the world.


19) The home page of the Jubilee 2000 web site, as of March 24, 2001


20) The Scorecard on Globalization 1980-2000: Twenty Years of Diminished Progress, by Mark Weisbrot, Dean Baker, Egor Kraev and Judy Chen, Center for Economic Policy and Research, August 2001.


21) James Wolfenson, The Other Crisis, World Bank, October 1998, quoted from The Reality of Aid 2000, (Earthscan Publications, 2000), p.10


22) Larry Elliott, A cure worse than the disease, The Guardian, January 21, 2002


23) John Cavanagh and Sarah Anderson , World's Billionaires Take a Hit, But Still Soar, The Institute for Policy Studies, March 6, 2002


24) Maude Barlow, Water as Commodity - The Wrong Prescription, The Institute for Food and Development Policy, Backgrounder, Summer 2001, Vol. 7, No. 3


25) Consumerism, Volunteer Now! (undated)

I need a picture of Muhammed for school (which I am in now) can anyone give me a url? Of course I don't mean photograph, but any drawn picture.

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